Pneumatically operated hammer device



Nov. 15, 1955 w. v. coRNETT 2,723,803

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED HAMMER DEVICE Filed April 20, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WALTER V. CORN ETT @MM hwg,

ATTORNEYS Nov. l5, 1955 w. v. coRNE'rT PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED HAMMER DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1953 INVENTOR. WALTER V CORNETT duf/mw @i ATTORNEYS Nov. l5, 1955 w. v. coRNET'r PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED HAMMER DEVICE Filed April 2o, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENToR. WALTER v. coRNETT dur/oa ATTORNEYS Nov. 15, 1955 w. v. coRNETT PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED HAMMER DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 20, 1953 A* JNVENTOR.

WALTER u coRNETT ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,723,803 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 nice PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED HAMMER DEVICE Walter V. Cornett, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,689

3 Claims. (Cl. 241--101) This invention relates to a pneumatically operated hammer device, and this application is a continuation-inpart of the copending application Serial Number 308,681, filed on September 9, 1952. It has for its object the provision of a device having a pneumatic hammer mounted on a carriage, said carriage being movably mounted on a platform, said platform being movably mounted on rails to permit longitudinal adjustment of said platform over a material to be broken. As the carriage is movable transverse the platform, the hammer carried by said carriage can, by the conjoint positioning of said carriage and platform, be positioned to strike at any point within the area of a fixed breaking table positioned below said platform and upon which the material to be broken is placed.

Another object is to provide a hammer device of the class described in combination with a bulldozer, the latter used to position and remove material on the breaking table of the hammer device.

A further object is to provide a hammer balanced by being in the center of its supporting carriage.

A further object is to centralize all the controls in easy reach of the operator.

A further object is to provide an air compressor and a motor for driving the same to supply air to the pneumatic hammer together with a pressure tank, all moved on the carriage` with said hammer to form a unit therewith, thereby eliminating the separate compressor tank and motor heretofore necessary and requiring flexible hose connections between the tank and hammer.

A further object is to provide an electrically driven hoist moved on the carriage with the hammer for use in moving the billets, slabs, or other objects worked on by the hammer.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the hammer device with parts 60, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, removed for the sake of clarity, this view being taken looking in the direction of the arrow marked Fig 1 in Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure l, including a bulldozer in combination therewith;

Figure 3 is a detail View of the air motor 44 and associated parts for moving the carriage C shown in Figures l and 2 and is taken approximately on the line 3 of Figure 2 Figure 4 is a diagram showing the piping and connections of the apparatus used in connection with the apparatus shown in the accompanying figures; and

Figure 5 is a front elevational View of the hammer device, like Figure 1, except with parts such as 37a, 53, S4, 89 and 90 removed to permit the mounting of the compressor and its motor, the pressure tank and the electric hoist to be seen.

This specification and the drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the device to illustrate the invention; however, when the inventive concept herein described is understood, it is obvious that many changes can be made inv the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring to Figure l, numeral 10 denotes a substantial concrete base carrying a breaking table 11 of cast iron having upwardly extending sides 12, 13, and having a trough-like formation running the full length of the base. Table 11 is adapted to carry any kind of material such as slabs, billets and the like S requiring a heavy impact blow to break them into smaller pieces. The machine is designed to handle either hot or cold material. The base 10 has upstanding supports 14, 15, running the full length of the base, and carrying secured thereto rails or tracks 16, 17, supporting the wheels or rollers 18, 19, 20, 21, of the longitudinally movable platform generally denoted as P or framework, the side members of which are shown at 22, 23. Such platforms are about 17 feet wide, as seen in Figure l, and are of heavy construction. Additional wheels 24, 25, as many as desired, may be used to support said platform.

The platform is of any suitable construction, and in addition to the side members 22, 23, has cross members 26, 27.

Secured to side member 23 is a bracket 28 supporting a suitable motor 29, which via chain drives the shaft 31 extending across the platform and journaled on side member 22. This shaft carries sprocket 32, driving chain 33 to sprocket 34 on the shaft of pulley 18 to drive the latter. A sprocket 35 on shaft 31 via chain 36 drives sprocket 37, secured to the shaft of pulley 19.

By the foregoing means motor 29 operated in the proper direction by valve controls 37a to be presently described, will move the platform previously described in either direction along rails 16, i7.

When valve 37a connected to the main air supply 89 is operated, it admits air to pipe 3'7'b to the motor 29 for rotation in one direction and vents pipe 37e to atmosphere through the usual vent 37d in the valve. When valve 37a is moved to its other position, air is admitted to pipe 37e and the direction of the motor is reversed, pipe 37b being vented to atmosphere via vent 37d. This is a well known method of operating air-motors such as 29 and is shown merely for the sake of illustration, as any suitable arrangement of the valve, motor and piping can be used.

The platform P carries thereon a carriage, generally denoted by C, constructed in any suitable manner, supported on four wheels or rollers 33, 39, 40, 41, which are suitably removably attached to the underside of carriage C by any suitable means such as brackets, two of which are shown at 42, 43, Figure l. Rollers 38 to 41 are supported on the upper face of cross members 26, 27.

As best seen in Figure 3, a suitable motor 44, mounted on platform C drives via worm 45, gear 46 and shaft 47, the wheels 39 and 46. Motor 44 is controlled by the two-way valve 4S so that the motor can be operated in either direction to move carriage C to the right or left, Figure l, over platform P when said platform is in any position on rails 16, 17.

When valve 43 connected to the main air supply S9 is operated it admits air to pipe 45a and to the motor 44 for rotation in one direction and vents pipe 48h to the atmosphere via the vent Se in the valve.

When valve 43 is moved in the opposite direction, air is admitted to pipe 4S!) and the direction of the motor is reversed, pipe 48a then being vented to the atmosphere via the vent 48e. This valve arrangement is well known and in common use.

To prevent carriage C from moving laterally in respect to members 26, 27, four wheels 49, S0, 51, 52, suitably supported in brackets secured to carriage C bear in sidewise relation against members 26, 27 lf necessary, these wheels may be grooved to engage the outstanding edges or flanges on 26, 27, to prevent vertical motion of car# riage C as well as lateral motion thereof; any other suitable means may be employed to prevent vertical and lateral motion of carriage C so that its motion is conned to the right-left motion on platform P, as previously described.

Mounted upon carriage C are four vertical cylinders 53, 54, 55, 56, containing pistons and piston rods, two of which are shown in Figure l at S7, 58 The lower ends of these four rods connect to a baffle plate 59 near the corners thereof, said plate having an aperture 59a therein to permit a hammer to extend therethrough as later described.

Cylinders 53 to 56, inclusive, are connected to a hydraulic system, as best seen in Figure 4, comprising a suitable motor 60 (preferably an electric motor), driving pump 61 connected to a surge and supply tank 62 and to the two-Way valve 63 and to a main equalizer 64, and auxiliary equalizers 65 and 66. The cylinders S3 to 56 are connected to the equalizers in the usual manner. The motor 60 is provided with a switch 60a located near the operators seat.

Referring to Figure 4, when the handle of valve 63, shown at the immediate right of the operators seat in Figure 2 is moved in one direction, hydraulic fluid lows from pump 61 via pipe 61a to valve 63 and from the valve via pipe 63b to the main equalizer 64 from which the fluid ows via pipes 64a, 64b to the auxiliary equalizers 65 and 66. From the auxiliary equalizers the fluid flows via pipes 65a, 65b, 65C, 65d to the cylinders 53, 54, 55 and 56 and raises the pistons connected to plate 59 to raise the plate. Where the handle of valve 63 is in its center or neutral position, the valve is closed and the pistons held in the adjusted position and the pipe 63o is closed olf in the usual manner and the pistons are held immovable with the plate raised as high as desired. Pipe 61a is then connected via valve 63 to pipe 63e and tank 62. To lower plate 59 the handle of valve 63 is moved in the opposite direction and hydraulic fluid ows via pipes 65a, 65b, 65C and 65d from cylinders 53 to 56 inclusive to the auxiliary equalizers 65 and 66 and from these and from 65 and 66 to the main equalizer 64 and via pipe 63b to valve 63 and then via pipe 63e` to tank 62. This permits the liquid to drain from the cylinders and plate 59 is lowered to the desired extent. During the lowering operation, pipe 61a is connected to pipe 63e and valve 63 in the usual manner and the liquid from pump 61 is delivered to tank 62 via pipe 61x,` and from the tank to the pump. The capacity of pipe 63a` and the tank is suflicient to take the return flow from the cylinders 53 to 56 inclusive as well as the liquid circulated by the pump. This is a well known method of operating cylinders such as 53 to 56 inclusive and is shown merely for the sake of illustration, as any suitable arrangement of pump, valve, tank, equalizers and cylinders can be used.

The parts 53 to 56, and the pistons and rods and plate 59, parts 60 to 66, inclusive, are all carried by carriage C and move therewith, and by manipulating valve 63, the plate 59 may be raised and lowered to accommodate slabs or billets S of varying thicknesses and held in any desired position.

A suitable pneumatic hammer assembly generally denoted by the numeral 67, and which may be of the type described in detail in the copending application Serial Number 705,446, tiled October 24, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,613,923, dated October 14, 1952, is mounted on carriage C, which has an opening therein to permit the passage of the hammer head 63 and the piston rod 69 therethrough. The stroke of said hammer is as shown in dotted lines Figure l. For this present application, it is sufficient to describe the hammer mechanism as powerful enough to reciprocate a heavy hammer head and to strike a regulated blow of 500 to 2500 foot pounds. As shown in Figure l the hammer assembly 67 includes a cylinder 67a having therein a piston having a rod 69 to which is attached the hammer head 68 to reciprocate same. The cylinder 67a is supported in any suitable manner as by side rods 6712 which are supported at their lower ends in the trunnion block 67C which has laterally projecting shafts 67d mounted on bearings in the journal block 67e secured to the carriage C. A spring 67f has one end secured to the hammer assembly and the oposite end secured to the carriage C at 67g. Additional springs, shown at 67h and 67 in Figure l are placed on each side of the journal block to aid the longer and more flexible spring 67f. It will now be apparent that the hammer assembly 67 is in effect spring-mounted in relation to platform C in such a manner that the shock of recoil, when the hammer strikes a blow, is mostly absorbed by springs 67f, 67h and 67i and the rest of the assembly may vibrate from left to right Figure l., thereby dissipating the shock which would otherwise be transmitted without diminution to platform C and other parts of the entire device. Further details of the construction of the aforesaid hammer assembly and spring mounting are shown and described in the c0- pending application before mentioned. Long experience has shown that such spring mountings in a device of this character are necessary to prevent the device from knocking itself to pieces and must be employed with any suitable hammer mechanism per se in place of that shown.

A two-way valve mechanism 70 is connected to the hammer as best seen in Figure 4 and by means of handle 71, said valve may be manipulated to vary the speed of the blows of said hammer and their intensity.

When handle 71 is in the vertical position for example in the center in the type of valve shown in Figure 4 the air supply 89 is shut off.

When handle 71 is moved upwardly valve 70 connects the air from 89 to pipe 89a and to the cylinder of the hammer assembly 67 below the piston and raises the piston therein. At the same time the pipe 89b is vented to atmosphere at 70a by the valve in the usual manner. To move the piston downwardly, handle 71 is moved downwardly, admitting air via pipe 89b above the piston, and at the same time venting pipe 89a to atmosphere at 70a. This is a well known method of operating pneumatic hammers of the class described, and is shown merely for the sake of illustrating as any suitable arrangement of valve 70, air supply 89, hammer assembly 67 and piping can be used.

A bulldozer attachment may be employed With the device previously described, and may comprise an extension 72 to base 10 carrying the long cylinder 73 having a piston and piston rod, and upon the outer end of the rod is mounted the pusher blade 74 of the bulldozer, said blade being adapted to t the trough-like breaking table 11 so as to push slab S onto said table from the rear of the device and out of the front 75 thereof. The bulldozer may, therefore, be used to load and unload the table 11.

The blade 74 is on an angle, the bottom thereof projecting forwardly, and there may be runners 76, 77, extending rearwardly to guide said blade. The cylinder 73 is pivoted at 78, 79, to permit it to move vertically.

The plates and 81 are secured to extension 72 of the base, or in any other manner, so as to remain fixed to lsupport the rear end of cylinder 73 to take the thrust of the bulldozer.

By means of a ilexible hose 82, 83, the cylinder 73 is connected via the four-way valve 84 to tank 85 and pump S6 driven by motor 87 controlled by switch 87a. By manipulating valve 84 as usual, the piston rod 88 may be caused to move blade 74 toward the front of the device, and withdraw the blade therefrom.

When blade 74 is moved to the right Figure 4, the pipe 82 connected to the rear end of cylinder 73 is connected to valve 84 and to pipe 84a to receive liquid from pump 86. At the same time pipe 83 is connected by valve 84 to pipe 84h to receive the liquid ahead of the piston in cylinder 73 and conduct it to tank 8S from which it returns to pump 86 via pipe 84C. When the process is reversed, to move blade 74 to the left, valve 84 is moved to the opposite position, and then liquid flows from the pump 86 via pipe 84a to valve 84 and via pipe 83 to the front end of cylinder 73-pushing the piston therein tol the left. At the same time pipe 82 is connected by valve 84 via pipe 84h to tank 8S. This arrangement of cylinder 73, valve 84, motor 87, pump 86 and tank 85 and the connecting piping shown in Figure 4 is well known and in extensive use and is here shown merely by way of illustration, as any suitable means can be employed to move the blade 74 as described.

To use the device, the main air supply 89 is connected to a pressure tank 91 and connected in any suitable manner to the air compressor 92 driven by the electric motor 93. Parts 91, 92 and 93 are mounted on carriage C and therefore move and form a unit therewith. Motors 87 and 60 are started, operating oil pumps 61 and 86. The operator now occupies seat 90 where he can easily reach control valves 37a, 48, 63 and 71 and the switch 94 for the motor 93 and switch 60a for the motor 60, and switch 87a for the motor 87, and switch 97 for the motor 96.

By operating valve 84, the bulldozer blade 74 is moved left as far as it will go, and by operating valve 37a the operator runs platform P carrying carriage C to the left over the bulldozer blade to expose the breaking table 11. The material S is now placed on table 11 and may be positioned thereon by using the bulldozer in a manner that will be obvious.

The operator by valve 37a now moves platform P over the material S so that hammer 68 will strike the same. If lateral adjustment is necessary, the operator manipulates valve 48 thereby moving carriage C across platform P until the hammer 68 is properly positioned to do its work.

The operator now manipulates valve 71 striking as many blows as desired, and manipulating valves 37a and 48 to position the hammer relative to the work S, to strike a blow at any point within the area of work table 11.

The operator, therefore, can at all times move the hammer longitudinally on tracks 16, 17, and transversely by carriage C on platform P, and if necessary can adjust baffle plate 59 to overlie the work S to prevent fragments thereof from striking the bottom of the platform P.

When the slab S is sufficiently broken, the operator by means of valve 37a runs platform P to the extreme left, and sto'oping over without leaving his seat, operates valve 84 to cause the bulldozer blade 74 to push the fragments of S to the right, oi the table 11 and into a hopper or bin provided at the right, Figure 2.

lt will be obvious that valve 84 if located remote from the operators seat may be connected by a cable to a handle 84a near the seat 90 whereby an operator can manipulate said valve without leaving his seat. Also the necessary starting switches 60a and 87a for motors 60 and 87 can be positioned near said seat.

The electric hoist 95 is driven by motor 96 having a switch 97 within reach of the operator on seat 90 and this hoist may be used to lift billets S and other material from points adjacent the device, onto work table 11, and the hoist moves with the carriage C and can be used with said carriage in any position.

What is claimed is:

l. in a device of the class described, a platform adapted to be moved longitudinally; means for moving said platform carried thereby; a carriage mounted on said platform and adapted to be moved transversely across same at a right angle tothe direction of movement of said platform; means for moving said carriage carried thereon; a pneumatically operated hammer mechanism mounted on said carriage and including a piston rod having a breaking tool extending below said carriage and platform and adapted to strike a blow on work positioned below said platform, said hammer mechanism including a cylinder mounted above said carriage; a trunnion block mounted on the carriage and supporting said cylinder therein; springs between said block and said carriage whereby said hammer is spring-mounted; an air compressor mounted on said carriage; and a motor mounted on said carriage and connected to said compressor to operate the same.

2. The combination as claimed in claim l, including a hoist mounted on said carriage and extending below said carriage and platform; and a motor mounted on said carriage and connected to said hoist to operate the same.

3. In a device of the class described, a platform adapted to be moved longitudinally; means for moving said platform carried thereby; a carriage mounted on said platform and adapted to be moved transversely across same at a right angle to the direction of movement of said platform; means for moving said carriage carried thereon; a pneumatically operated hammer mechanism mounted on said carriage and including a piston rod having a breaking tool extending below said carriage and platform and adapted to strike a blow on work positioned below said platform, said hammer mechanism including a cylinder mounted above said carriage; a trunnion block mounted on the carriage and supporting said cylinder therein; springs between said block and said carriage whereby said hammer is spring-mounted; an air compressor mounted on said carriage; a motor mounted on said carriage and connected to said compressor to operate same; a hoist mounted on said carriage and extending below said carriage and platform; a motor mounted on said carriage and connected to said hoist for operating the same; an operators seat on said carriage; a first control means for controlling said platform moving means; a second control means for controlling said means for moving said carriage; a third control means for controlling said pneumatic hammer mechanism; a fourth control means for controlling said air compressor motor; and a iifth control means for controlling said hoist motor; said control means being positioned on said carriage within reach of an operator seated on said seat.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,171 Cornett Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,900 Australia Mar. 7, 1934 28,479 Sweden Mar. 5, 1910 

